Description

BIDEFORD

SS4526 BRIDGELAND STREET
842-1/5/42 (South side)
19/03/73 Nos.25 AND 26
The Red House
(Formerly Listed as:
BRIDGELAND STREET
(South side)
Nos.24-26 (Consecutive))

GV II

Large house, the ground storey converted to a shop. Probably
1692 or 1693, the front remodelled in about 1900. Rear wing
added early or mid C19; minor C20 additions to rear of main
range.
Solid walls (probably of brick), the front clad with
mathematical tiles, the rear wall rendered. Roofs covered with
c1900 tiles. Chimney at each end of ridge: old red brick with
rebuilt top to left, late C20 red brick to right.
Plan of 3 rooms wide and 2 rooms deep with central
through-passage in ground storey (rear blocked by a later
addition); middle room on upper floors simply a closet with 1
window. Staircase in place of rear left-hand room; small room
behind it (against party-wall), that in second storey altered
to provide access to rear wing. Right-hand front and back
rooms combined into one on all 3 floors; some of the dividing
wall remains in ground storey.
2 storeys with attic; 5-window range. Ground storey has wide
central doorway with late C18 or early C19 wooden doorcase:
reeded half-column at either side supporting frieze with
raised-and-fielded, 2-fillet ovolo-moulded panels; flat
moulded hood on scrolled brackets; this has been strengthened
top and bottom by scrolled iron brackets; reveals and soffit
of doorcase panelled; 6-panelled door (bottom 2 panels flush,
top 2 now glazed) with fixed, matching 3-panelled leaf to left
of it. To right of it a single-storeyed canted bay window of
similar date; 3 pairs of sashes, the upper sashes 6-paned, the
lower ones 2-paned.
The other ground and second-storey windows have similar
sashes, but probably early C18 with box-frames, the 6-paned
sashes with thick ovolo-moulded glazing bars; some contain old
glass.
Raised cement band at sill-level in ground storey, possibly
disguising an original brick band. Heavy wooden eaves-cornice,
late C17 in style but with the lower part cut to a double ogee
over each window. Roof-line broken by a continuous line of
c1900 flat-topped dormers faced with mathematical tiles, the
roof-tiles swept down over them; 5 wood casement windows of 2
lights each. Rear walls considerably altered.
Main range has an upper-storey sash-window with margin-panes;
2 dormers with 2-light wood casements, each light of 2 panes.
Rear wing has 6-paned sash window in upper storey.
INTERIOR contains a good proportion of the original fittings,
with alterations in early C18 or early C19; some of this later
work possibly moved from its original position. In ground
storey the front section of passage has late C18 or early C19
tall panelled dado; doors to front rooms of similar date with
2 raised-and-fielded ovolo-moulded panels. Late C19
half-glazed screen with coloured glass. Right-hand front room
has on left and rear walls a panelled dado (possibly re-set)
like that in passage; right wall has early C18
raised-and-fielded ovolo-moulded panelling.
Right-hand rear room has panelling with a raised moulding
(probably late C17) around chimneybreast, including cupboard
with shaped H-hinges; wide fireplace, probably for original
kitchen; moulded cornice and 2-panelled door with strap-hinges
and raised mouldings leading to passage. Left-hand front room
has raised bolection-moulded panelling with box-cornice. To
right of chimneybreast an early C18 cupboard with moulded
architrave, panelled doors and base, this last with a panelled
pilaster at each end; matching window-shutters.
Wooden dog-leg staircase rising to garret. Closed moulded
strings, square newels with flat moulded caps, turned
balusters, broad handrail with chamfered top.
In second storey the right-hand front room has on right wall
early C18 panelling matching that in room below; simple Art
Nouveau wooden chimneypiece with yellow tiles and cast-iron
grate.
Rear room has coved cornice, raised bolection-moulded
panelling on right wall; matching wooden chimneypiece, the
overmantel-panel with oil painting (probably original).
Left-hand front room has moulded cornice; early or mid C19
reeded stone chimneypiece (now painted) with Gothic cast-iron
grate; 2-panelled door with raised mouldings. Both main front
rooms have panelled shutters. Stair landing has small C18 wall
cupboard with panelled door on H-hinges. Plank door with tall
ovolo-moulded panel leading to middle front room.
In garret, right-hand rear room has small early C18
chimneypiece with ogee-moulded surround, the arch segmental
with fluted keystone; C19 cast-iron grate.
On landing an early C18 cupboard (possibly re-set) matching
that in ground storey. Plank door with tall ovolo-moulded
centre panel leading to left-hand front room; old wooden
coat-pegs on the inside. 2-panelled, ovolo-moulded door with
shaped H-hinges leading to left-hand rear room; latter has
cupboard with similar doors. Plain plank door to right-hand
rear room.
This was Bideford Bridge Trust propery first leased to John
Courtis of Bideford, carpenter. He is mentioned as the lessee
in a lease of the neighbouring house, No 24, dated 29.12.1692,
and in a lease of No 27 on the other side it is said that he
built Nos 25-26. The first surviving lease of the latter,
however, is to Richard Wadland, mariner, on 6.2.1700. A later
lease, of 20.7.1864 says it has been converted into 2 houses.
On 24.9.1899 the lease was granted to the architect, G Malam
Wilson, who advertised it for sale in June 1901. It was then
described as 'a double-fronted family residence ... recently
reconstructed, and occupied by G Malam Wilson, Esq.
(Architect)'. The rooms were listed and also certain fittings,
including, on the ground floor, 'a screen with leaded lights'
in the entrance-hall and 'Dining Room divided by folded
screen'.
(Bideford Bridge Trust Surveys: A1/18-20; Bideford Weekly
Gazette: 11.6.1901: P.46).

Listing NGR: SS4540026790

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26275891

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)